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Translating an Algonquin Tradition of Respect Into Youth Well-Being in Rapid Lake, Quebec

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Translating an Algonquin Tradition of Respect Into Youth Well-Being in Rapid Lake, Quebec MINODODAZIN: Translating an Algonquin Tradition of Respect into Youth Well-being in Rapid Lake, Quebec Heather Kooiman, MScN; Mary Ellen Macdonald, PhD; Franco Carnevale, RN PhD; Carolina Pineda, PhD; Waylon Nottaway; Serge Vignola, RN Abstract Introduction Aboriginal people in Canada face important obstacles Respect is a core value that promotes personal and to the achievement of optimal health and well-being. community well-being for many Aboriginal peoples For Aboriginal youth in particular, these obstacles have in Canada. Widespread practices of caring for the lead to health disparities relative to the non-Aboriginal population. This study used the qualitative method of self, one’s community, and nature reflect this core focused ethnography to explore this pressing concern value. Notwithstanding this tradition, Aboriginal from the perspective of the youth, educators, health care people in Canada face important obstacles to the workers, parents, and elders of an Algonquin community achievement of optimal health and well-being. located in Rapid Lake, Quebec. The overall goal was to For Aboriginal youth in particular, these obstacles assist community youth workers to design a culturally have led to health disparities relative to the non- relevant program to promote well-being among local youth. The program and findings that resulted from this Aboriginal population. Higher incidences of drug, study suggest that the social practices encompassed within alcohol, and tobacco use, as well as higher rates of the Algonquin tradition of minododazin correspond with sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, sexually transmit- those researchers positively correlate with youth well- ted infections, HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, sui- being. The program and findings that resulted from cide, and obesity have been reported for Aboriginal this study are of value to other Aboriginal communities youth (Assembly of First Nations and First Nations seeking to address similar health concerns among their youth. Governance Committee, 2007; Fenton, 2001; Health Canada 2009; Steenbeek, 2004). Keywords: focused ethnography, participation, well- Additionally, there is a significant difference in being, self-respect, substance use, sexual health, cultural knowledge, Aboriginal, youth drug and alcohol use in Aboriginal youth compared to their non-Aboriginal counterparts. For example, 59% of Aboriginal youth smoke tobacco, compared to 24.4% of non-Aboriginal youth (Health Canada, 2009). Factors such as low socioeconomic status and a long and devastating history of coloniza- tion, assimilation, and residential schools have been linked to these important health issues (Reading, 2009; Mussell et al., 2004; Clarke 2007; Tousignant and Sioui, 2009; Tu et al., 2008). The concepts of self-respect and self-esteem are important to consider when dealing with the issues surrounding substance use and sexual health © Pimatisiwin: A Journal of Aboriginal and Indigenous Community Health 10(1) 2012 1 2 © Pimatisiwin: A Journal of Aboriginal and Indigenous Community Health 10(1) 2012 for youth, as high levels of self-respect and self- The Project esteem have been positively correlated with well- being (Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada, According to the literature, self-respect or “having 2002). There is, however, a lack of research on the regard for one’s character” (Orkar, 1997) is closely applicability of such concepts in the development connected to decisions regarding sexual activity and of culturally appropriate substance use and sexual substance use (Aboriginal Nurses Association of health initiatives for youth in Aboriginal commun- Canada, 2002). In a study conducted by Goff and ities (Assembly of First Nations and First Nations Goddard (1999), it was demonstrated that regard- Governance Committee, 2007). less of their sociodemographic background, North Through an ongoing partnership between the American adolescents who valued self-respect were McGill School of Nursing and the Kitiganik Health more likely to delay alcohol and tobacco use as well Clinic of Rapid Lake, Quebec, our team used the as sexual activity until an older age. For participants qualitative method of focused ethnography to ex- of that study, core values associated with self-respect plore health concerns for local Algonquin youth were found to mediate engagement in antisocial be- and related obstacles to their well-being. Our over- haviour (Goff and Goddard, 1999). The research on all goal was to assist community youth workers to Aboriginal youth makes similar observations. In one design a culturally relevant self-respect program to study on the sexual behaviour of Aboriginal adoles- promote healthy lifestyle choices among youth par- cent girls, it was shown that those who remained ticipants. To ensure the relevance and practical ap- abstinent listed self-respect as a key reason for their plicability of such a program, the input of commun- behaviour (Morrison-Beedy et al., 2008). Another ity members including youth, educators, health care study asked Aboriginal youth to define healthy sex- workers, parents. and elders was sought at all stages uality. Included in their answers were the following: of this project. We believe our program and findings “respect for myself,” “respecting the boundaries,” are of value to other Aboriginal communities seek- it “does not have to involve sexual intercourse,” ing to address similar health concerns among their and it “can mean love yourself and being loved by youth. your parents and close friends” (Aboriginal Nurses In the following article, we provide an overview Association of Canada, 2002). Following from this of the health literature demonstrating the link be- literature, our research asked: How can the well-being tween youth well-being and self-respect. Following, of Aboriginal youth be addressed through a self-respect we provide a brief history of the Algonquin of framework? Barrier Lake to familiarize the reader with the con- Setting text of this research, and then outline the participa- Rapid Lake, Quebec, is a community of approxi- tory approach we used to design and conduct our mately 400 Algonquin people, located in northwest- project. We then describe the resultant culturally ern Quebec, approximately 130 kilometres north relevant self-respect program we completed with of Maniwaki and 150 kilometres south of Val-d’Or the youth, and our research findings which high- (Aboriginal Canadian Portal, 2004). Historically, light the importance of self-respect, or minododaz- the Algonquin of this community resided some 75 in, in traditional Algonquin culture. We found that km away on the territory surrounding Barrier Lake. minododazin can provide hope for youth; however, Though they relocated to Rapid Lake around 1930 we also learned about serious personal and social they continue to be known as the Algonquin of barriers youth experience to achieving minododaz- Barrier Lake. in. We conclude by discussing the implications of Like other Aboriginal communities throughout using Indigenous health philosophies for programs the region, Rapid Lake has limited resources to ad- and policies, and specifically with ideas for future dress the many needs of its inhabitants. There is one community-based activities to support youth health elementary school, a youth centre, a daycare, and a and well-being. police station. The nearest grocery store is located Minododazin: Translating an Algonquin Tradition of Respect into Youth Well-being in Rapid Lake, Quebec 3 130 kilometres away and the closest high school a McGill Masters in Nursing student lived in Rapid even further away in a predominantly non-Aborig- Lake for three months, during which she conducted inal city. The local health clinic, the Kitiganik Health a clinical placement as well as directed this research Clinic, services the community’s immediate health project. Working together with two supervisors needs and refers patients to medical specialists in from McGill, the head nurse at the Kitiganik Health southern cities when necessary. Run by Health Clinic, and two local Algonquin community work- Canada, this clinic is staffed by nurses from outside ers, at the request of the community our aim was Rapid Lake and local health care workers. Health to help to develop a program on self-respect to pro- care professionals including a dentist, a dental hy- mote the well-being of local Algonquin youth. We gienist, and a psychologist come from outside the employed a participatory approach to ensure that community on a weekly or monthly basis. the expertise of community members was included Over the past two decades, there have been im- at each stage of program development. This research portant political and social disruptions in the com- was approved by the Institutional Review Board of munity, which can be traced to tensions between McGill University and was carried out in accordance local interests and the agendas of the Quebec and with McGill’s policy on the ethical conduct of re- Canadian governments. For example, the devastating search involving human subjects, especially minors. regimes of control and assimilation that character- Written informed consent was obtained prior to all ized Canada’s relations with Aboriginal peoples since participation; in the case where participants were the early years of colonization have led to present- under 18 years old, parental consent and youth as- day socioeconomic vulnerabilities. In particular, sent were obtained. The methodological approach the legacy of residential schools
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